Toe-or heel-holding device for safety ski bindings

ABSTRACT

The device comprises a baseplate adapted to be secured to the ski and a soleholder which is movable against a resistance presented by a spring. An envelope encloses and seals the entire device except for the baseplate and the soleholder.

United States Patent Marker [451 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] TOE-OR HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR [56] I References Cited SAFETY SKI BINDINGS UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor: Hannes Marker, Hauptstrasse 51- 5 (gamiscbpartenkirchen, Gen 3,462,165 8/1969 Brunner ..280/l 1.35 T man y Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh [22] filed: June 1970 Assistant Examiner-Robert R. Song 2 App] 49 0 Attorney-Fieit, Gipple & Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data t The device compnses a baseplate adapted to be July 1969 Germany 19 38 567-2 I secured to the ski and a soleholder which is movable A against a resistance presented by a spring. An en- UQS. CL T l p l e d eal the entire device except for [51] Int. Cl ..A63c 9/00 the baseplate and the Soleholden [58] Field of Search ..280/l 1.35 T t t v 5 Ciairns,2 Drawing Figures 5 ll" I 8 si s: I 1 I I/II/I I 1/ E Patented Sept. 12, 1972 3 S um I 1 5 I 1| II J 4% M Q /4 I I I F H 1 Wu I I I M 9 1 I I 1 B4 I ll/l INVENTORI Hanms Marker m; I E a f fltlorneys TOE-R HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS The present invention relates to toeor heel-holding devices for safety ski bindings, which devices comprise a-baseplate adapted to be secured tothe ski and a soleholder, which is movable against a resistance presented by a spring.

In known toeand heel-holding devices of this type for use in safety ski bindings, the mechanism for the safety release of the device is either exposed or is mounted in a housing of metal or plastics material. This housing may have a supporting function, if desired. In those devices which comprise a housing, the latter must not be entirely closed so that a restriction of the freedom of movement required for the soleholder will be avoided. Whereas in those devices which comprise a housing, the mechanism for the safety release is protected against unintended mechanical action and damage from the outside, contrary to devices in'which said mechanism is exposed, the housing does not protect or does not sufficiently protect, the mechanism against an ingress of -snow,water, anddust. For this reason there is a great risk thatthe movable parts of the known toeand heel-holding devices may become soiled or iced so that anexact safety release is hindered or even prevented. ltis an object ofthe invention so to improve and design a toe or heel-holdingdevice of the type defined first hereinbefore that its releasemechanism is protected against detrimental mechanical action from the outside as well as against any ingress of snow, water, dirt orthe like, whereas the reliable function of the device is not adversely affected.

In a toeor heel-holding device for safety ski bindings, which device comprises a baseplate adapted to be secured to the ski and a soleholder which is movable against a resistance presented by a spring, the above object is accomplished according to the invention by the' provision of an envelope which encloses and seals the entire device except for the baseplate and the soleholder. This shell consists suitably of elastic material and has no supporting function. a

It has proved particularly desirable to provide an envelope which is similar to a bellows. Due to this design and/or its elasticity, the envelope can follow any movement of the mechanism of the toeor heel-holding device whereas the positive connection of the envelope to the soleholder and to the part by which the mechanism is secured to the baseplate is not eliminated and the sealing and protective functions of the envelope are thus preserved.

In a development of the invention, the envelope may be sealingly secured to the baseplate.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing a toe-holding device according to the invention and FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the toe-holding device of FIG. 1.

The toe-holding device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a baseplate 1, which is adapted to be secured to a ski, e.g., by means of screws, and for this purpose has two screw holes 2. The baseplate 1 carries a vertical supporting element or pivot pin 3, which is desirably connected to the baseplate by a screw 4. A pivoted member Sis rotatably mounted on the pivot'pin 3. A carrier 7 for a soleholder 8 is pivoted by a vertical pivot pin 6 to the pivoted member 5. The sole-holder 8 is connected by a screw 17 to the carrier 7. An intermediate plate 9 provided with an upwardly angled lug 10 is non-rotatably secured to the pivot pin 3 by means of the square central portion 11 of the pivot pin 3. The angled lug 10 is an abutment for a helical compression spring 12, which is guided on a bored pin 13 secured to the lug 10. This helical compression spring 12 acts by means of a U-shaped bridge member 14 on the pivoted member 5. The bridge member 14 has two lugs, which extend upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and which form the second abutment for the helical compression spring 12. The bridge'member 14 alsocarries a pin 15, which guides the spring 12. The pin 15 has an axial bore, in which a rod 16 is axially slidably mounted. The rod 16 extends through the spring 12 andat its other end is secured in the bore of the pin 13. The sealing envelope 18 which is provided in accordance with the invention consists in this embodiment of elasticrnaterial and has theform of a bag. At its open'end, the envelope is provide d with an inwardly directed, annular flange 19, which is formed-with a radial groove 20 extending throughout the periphery of the flange. The groove'20 consists preferably of a dovetail groove. The envelope isprovided at the bot tom with a circular opening, through which'the pivot pin 3 extends outwardly. In the assembled device, the rim of the opening is in sealing engagement with the pivot pin 3. Before the pivot pin 3 is screw-connected to the base-plate 1 in assembling the device, the en velope 18 is pulled over the entire mechanism from the front end thereof and by means of the dovetail groove 20 is mounted 'on the mating dovetail-shaped v peripheral rim 21 of the carrier 7 for the soleholder 8. As a result, the entire mechanism of the toeholding device is enclosed and perfectly sealed from the outside. It will be understood that the envelope 18 can be sealingly secured to the carrier 7 for the soleholder 8 b the other'means, e.g., by a vulcanized joint.

In another embodiment, which is not shown, the envelope is sealingly secured to the baseplate, e.g., by means of a dovetail joint similar to that used in the first embodiment between the envelope and the carrier, or by a vulcanized joint.

In the toe-holding device which has been shown, the force required for a release is changed by a rotation of the bridge member 14 rather than by a change of the initial stress of the spring. By a rotation of the bridge member 14 about its axis, which coincides with the axis of the helical compression spring, the points where the legs of the bridge member engage the pivotal member 5 will be changed and with them the lever arm by which the spring exerts a torque on the pivoted member. The setting which provides for the largest lever arm is shown in the drawings. Before the device is mounted on the ski,the bridge member 14 is adjusted to the position which is proper for the skier. The bridge member cannot be readjusted when the envelope has been applied and the device has been mounted on the ski. Hence the toe iron has the advantage that it cannot be readjusted.

When the soleholder 8 is subjected to a force which is directed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the toe-holding device, that force will be transmitted from the soleholder 8 by the carrier 7, the pivoted member and the bridge member 14 to the helical compression spring 12, so that the latter is compressed when the force exceeds the initial stress of the spring. In that case, the pivoted member 5 will rotate about the pivot pin 3 and the soleholder 8 will perform a pivotal movement with its carrier 7 about the pin 6, possibly to the position in which the skiing boot is released. Owing to the elasticity of the envelope 18, the latter can follow this shift of the carrier 7 without separating at the dovetail rim 21. The forward portion of the envelope facing the soleholder is partly stretched and partly compressed during this operation. When the envelope 18 has thus been deformed, it assists the tendency of the helical compression spring to restore the mechanism to the normal position, shown in the drawing, when the acting force decreases or the soleholder has released the skiing boot.

In another embodiment, not shown, the envelope may be similar to a bellows so that a pivotal movement will cause the folds of the envelope to be expanded on one side and compressed on the other. This envelope too will not separate from the soleholder or its carrier so that the sealing function will be preserved.

What is claimed is:

l. A toe-or heel-holding device for safety ski bindings, which device comprises:

a flexible envelope enclosing and sealing said device,

a baseplate located exteriorily of said envelope and adapted to be secured to the ski, a supporting element mounted on said baseplate, a pivoted member pivotally mounted on said supporting element, and a compression spring against which resistance said pivoted member is pivotable, a carrier pivotably connected to said pivoted member, and a soleholder attached to said carrier, said envelope having only two openings therein, an edge of one of said openings located in a rear wall of said envelope and connected to said carrier in a sealing and locking manner, and an edge of a second of said openings located in a bottom wall of said envelope and connected to said supporting element in a sealing and locking manner.

2. A device as in claim 1 further including an intermediate plate positioned in non-rotatable relationship with respect to said supporting element, and a bridge member positioned between said spring and said pivoted member, said bridge member forming an abutment for said spring and operatively engaging said pivoted member to urge said sole-holder toward a normal position.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein said spring is positioned between said intermediate plate and said pivoted member, said intermediate plate forming an abutment for said spring.

4. A device as in claim 2 wherein said bridge member includes legs engaging said pivoted member and wherein the bridge member defines an axis coinciding with an axis defined by said spring.

5. A device as in claim 2 wherein said bridge member is adjustable with respect to said pivoted member to control the torque exerted by said spring on said pivoted member. 

1. A toe-or heel-holding device for safety ski bindings, which device comprises: a flexible envelope enclosing and sealing said device, a baseplate located exteriorily of said envelope and adapted to be secured to the ski, a supporting element mounted on said baseplate, a pivoted member pivotally mounted on said supporting element, and a compression spring against which resistance said pivoted member is pivotable, a carrier pivotably connected to said pivoted member, and a soleholder attached to said carrier, said envelope having only two openings therein, an edge of one of said openings located in a rear wall of said envelope and connected to said carrier in a sealing and locking manner, and an edge of a second of said openings located in a bottom wall of said envelope and connected to said supporting element in a sealing and locking manner.
 2. A device as in claim 1 further including an intermediate plate positioned in non-rotatable relationship with respect to said supporting element, and a bridge member positioned between said spring and said pivoted member, said bridge member forming an abutment for said spring and operatively engaging said pivoted member to urge said sole-holder toward a normal position.
 3. A device as in claim 2 wherein said spring is positioned between said intermediate plate and said pivoted member, said intermediate plate forming an abutment for said spring.
 4. A device as in claim 2 wherein said bridge member includes legs engaging said pivoted member and wherein the bridge member defines an axis coinciding with an axis defined by said spring.
 5. A device as in claim 2 wherein said bridge member is adjustable with respect to said pivoted member to control the torque exerted by said spring on said pivoted member. 